Operating mechanism for pull-sockets.



H. HUB BELL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR PULL BOUKETS.

A APPLICATION main my q. 1912. 1,053,179. Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

WITNESSES: 20 V w 15- jar, BY

' A TTORNEY HARVEY HUBBELL, OF BRIDGEPbBT, CONNECTICUT.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR PULL-SOCKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

Application filed May 6, 1912. Serial No. sear/e.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, county of Fail-field, State of Jonnecticut, haveinvented an Improvement in Operating Mechanism for Pull-Sockets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pull socket-s for incandescent electric lamps,which are especially constructed and arranged to permit the use of arelatively small shell with switch mechanism amply large to meet therequirements of use and with a large clearance between the switchmechanism and the current carrying brackets, this being accomplished byplacing the switch mecha nism eccentrically to the insulating blocks andon the far side from the operating mechanism, and the invention has forits object to produce a socket of this type in which, in lieu of achain, the connecting member between the operating lever and theoperating member of the switch mechanism shall be a thrust bar, thusdoing away with the part most likely to break and which is a frequentcause of trouble in pull-sockets as ordinarily constructed.

With this and other objects in view, I

have devised the novel pull socket which 1" will now describe, referringto the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification andusing reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a pull socket,

partly broken away to show the switch mechanism and showing theapplication thereto of my novel operating mechanism; Fig. 2,-anelevation of a pull socket in the reverse position showing the manner inwhich the operating mechanism may be reversed; Fig. 3, a plan vicwof thelower insulating block, the current carrying brackets being in section,showing the position of the switch relatively thereto; Fig. 4:, aperspective of the hub and its bracket, detached; Fig. 5, a frontelevation of the hub and its bracket with the locking spring in place;Fig. (3, a perspective of the operating lever bracket detached; Fig. 7,a plan view on an enlarged scale of the switch operating memberdetached, showing the connection thereto of the thrust bar; and Fig. 8is an edge view corresponding therewith.

1O denotes the socket shell, 11 the cap, 12

the insulating lining, 13 the screw shell, 14 and 15 the insulatingblocks, 10 the currentcarrying brackets by which the insulating blocksare connected, 17 the switch mecha- Ilism, 18 an operating membertherefor, 19 a hub which passes through the insulating lining and thescrew shell and is carried by a bracket 20 which is secured to the upperand lower insulating blocks, 21 the operating lever to which a pendant22 is connected, 23 the operating lever bracket and 24 the thrust barwhich is pivotally connected to the operating lever and to the switchoperating member. The lower insulating block is provided with inclines25 which terminate in abrupt shoulders, alternate inclines carryingplates 26 which are in the circuit.

27 denotes the contact plate which, as well as o]')erating member 18,turns freely on a pin 28. The contact plate provided with spring arms2!) which engage the inclines and is itself engaged and operated by theoperating member, oscillation of which produces rotary mm'emcnt of thecontact plate. The operating member is an insulating member and is showninthe present instance as comprising plates of insulating material whichare secured together and to a n'letallic plate 30 which is provided withteeth or lugs 31 adapted to engage the contact plat Further descriptionof thc'opcrating incn'iber is not thought to be re quircd as it .isdescribed and claimed in a pending application of even date herewith.

32 denotes a spring which returns the operating member to its normalposition after each actuation, one end of said member being connected tothe pin and the other to the operatij-ig member. The tension of theoperating spring may be adjusted by turning the pin, the springadditionally acting to hold the angular head of the pin in a socket inthe upper insulating block which retains it against rotation. Fullerdescription of the operation of the switch is not thought to be requiredas it has been illustrated, described and claimed in patents previouslygranted to me.

Hub 19 is provided in its outer taco with recesses 83 and in one sidewith a slot 34 which is adapted to receive one arm of a U-shaped lockingspring 35, as will be more fully explained. Operating lever bracket 23is provided with an eye 36 to which the operating lever is pivoted, saidlever being shown as provided with wings 37 which he on opposite sidesof the eye, the pivot passing through both wings and the eye. The

opposite end of bracket 23 is provided with a sleeve '38 which isadapted to pass within huh lit and is provided with lugs 39 \\'lll('llengage, recesses 32) to prevent rotation of the bracket and on oppositesides with grooves or slots ll), either of which is adapt ed tobe'engagcd b the arm of the locking spring lying in slot it in the hubwhen the groove and slot are in alinement, to detachgrooves or slots inthe sleeve.

To reverse the socket, that is to change it from the position shown inFig. 1 to that in Fig. 2, or vice versa, it being understood that theoperating lever should always project upward, the operator takes hold ofthe operating lever bracket and pulls it directly outward against thepower of the locking spring and the operating spring of the switch. Itshould be understood that the locking'spring retains the operating leverand its bracket securely in place under the ordinary conditions of use,but its power may be readily overcome by a direct pull outward upon thebracket. As soon as the bracket has been entirely disengaged from thehub, the operating lever and the bracket are given a half turn, thelever turning freely on the thrust bar, and then the sleeve is pressedinto the hub, the beveled end of which expands the locking spring, whichan instant later snaps into the groove or slot in the sleeve which is inalinement with the slot in the hub, thus locking the bracket andoperating lever in place again. In reversing the socket it isunnecessary to interfere in any way with the shell or cap or any of themechanism within the 'shell.

The mode of operation will be obvious? from the drawing. A pull upon thependant swings the. upper end of the operating lever outward and thelower end inward, 'forcing the thrust bar inward and causing it tooscillate the operating member ofthe switch, whi'clt-in turn operatesthe switch in the usual manner. After each actuation, the operatingspring of the switch returns the operating member to its normalposition, forcing the thrust bar outward and returning the operatingleverto its normal position. No possible injury to the switch can resultfrom a strong pull upon the pendant as the inward. movement of the lowerarm of the lever will be stopped by its engagement with the operatinglever bracket.

Having thus described my invention, I claim! 1. In a' pull socket, thecombination with insulating blocks, switch mechanism and a hub securedto the insulating blocks, of a' reversible l)l:l(l((.l secured to thehub, an operatinglcvcr pivoted to the bracket and a thrust barintermediate the switch mechanism and the o 'icrating lever.

2. In a pull socket, the combiuatioi'i with a shell and switchmcchanism,ot an insulated hub independent of the shell, a bracketthercfor,'a second bracket detachably secured to the hub, an operatinglever pivoted to the second bracket and a thrust bar intermediate theoperating lever and the switch mecha-. nism.

3. In a, pull socket, the combination with an insulated hub, of areversible bracket secured thereto, an operating lever pivoted to saidbracket, a thrust bar pivoted to the operating lever and means fordetachably locking the bracket to the hub.

4. In a pull socket, the combination with an insulated hub havingrecesses in its face and in one side a slot, of a bracket having a.sleeve adapted to pass within. the hub, said sleevehaving lugs adaptedto engage the recesses and one of the grooves, an operating leverpivoted' to the bracket, a thrust bar pivoted to the lever and passingthrough the sleeve and hub, and a U-shaped locking spring adapted toengage the slot and one of the grooves to detachably lock the bracket tothe hub.

5. In a pull socket, the combination with a shell, insulating blocks anda switch operating member, of a hub secured to the insulating blocks, areversible bracket having a sleeve engaging the hub, means for lockingthe sleeve to the hub, an operating lever pivoted to the bracket and athrust bar intermediate the operating lever and the switch operatingmember.

6. In a pull socket, the combination with a shell and a switch operatingmember, of an insulated hub secured within and extending through theshell, a reversible bracket secured to the hub, an operating leverpivoted to-the bracket and a thrust bar inter- 15 having lugs to engagethe recesses and opposite groovesadapted to aline with the slot, :1locking spring engaging the slot and one of the grooves, for the purposeset forth, an operating lever pivoted to the bracket and a thrust barintermediate the operating lever and the switch operating member.

v 1,oee,we i 3 8. In a pullsocket, the combination with In testimonywhereof I signature insulating blocks and a hub secured thereto, inpresence of two witnesses.

of a reversible bracket having a sleeve en- ARVEY HUBBELL gaging thehub, means for locking the sleeve i 5 to the hub, an operating leverpivoted to the Witnesses:

bracket and a thrust bar pivoted to the S. W. ATHERTQN,

lever and passing through the hub. H; W. MEADE.

